Phonograph or like cabinet



Dec. 19., 1922. 1,439,497

W. G. ALDEEN. PHoNoeRAPH on LIKE GMINI-:Il

ORIGINAL FILED Aus. 23, 1919, 2 SHEETS'SHEET 1 fZQZ.

@me 66 .es I 9206/ @ga/h@ I /@I//M j g Dec. 19, 1922-.

Vl. G. ALDEEN.

Patented Dec.. i9, i922e WILHELM G.;ALDEEN, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

Pnonosannrr, on LIKE c anrnnzr.

Continuation of application Serial No. 319,350, filed August23, 19,19. This application filed June 16,

To all lir/loin. it ymay conce/ra x Be it known that l. WILHELM G'. :inni-sax, a citizen of the United States, residing at llockiord,-in the county of Winnebagoand State ,of illinois, have invented certain vnew and useful Improvements in Phonograpli or like Cabinets, of which the following is a is to provide a counter-balancing devicev whereina torsionspring is advantageously employed to resist the action of gravity, the

devicebeing substantially noiseless in operation, durable and otherwise of an eiiicient and practical characterf:

Counter-balancing devices in common use in phonograph or like cabinets are of such character that asr the hood approaches its lowermost position, the springs employed are so tensioned thatlin spite of the increased pressure exerted thereon by the hood as it approaches the horizontal, the lifting effect oi' the springs is so increased that it becomes necessary for the operator or user to take particular pains to. see that the hood is ink tact' closed. .The present invention aims to overcome this objection by providing a Lcounter-balancing device which whileA capable ot' maintaining thev hood in its raised.positionlivill permit it to descend by gravity into closed position ai'ter having been vmoved substantially into such position.

Another object of the `invention is to. provide a counter-balancing device which isl capable of easyadjustment to vary the litt-M ing or counter-balancing eifect thereof.

Further object of the invention is to yprovide a counter-balancing device oi a prac-V ticalcharacter -in that it is of comparatively simple construction and `may be readilyassembled.

The objects ot' the invention thus gener-I4 tional viewthrough the upper portionof a4 phonograph Acabinet, having my improved yhood inraised position. v

1921. serial No. 478,219,

counter-balancing device applied thereto.

and'slioiving ythe position of the parts when the hood is closed.. Fig. lis a similar vievv but showing the position or the parts ivith bling of the device. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line of Fig. 6.

VVhilej have hereinshown my invention as appliewdto agphonographcabinet, itpivill. be understood that the device is readilymapplicable to. various types of cases or lcabinets requiring` counter-balancing devices,

andalthough the yinvention is hereinafter describedL with consider-able `particularity, it is not to be limited thereby, in the interpretation oi the yappended claims, except as may be necessitatedby the statel oi the priory y art. Referring to, the drawings,y 1 designates the main 1o r base portion of a phonograph, cabinet. having la hood Q'hinged at itsrear edge vr-asl at rlhe base l. of the cabinet is provided With the usual top Wall 4, Yupon which the hood ,is adapted vrto rest when in closed position. T he hood 2is provided with the usual bracket k5 to which is pivoted the saw upper endroit a link 6 which depends through a slot ,45t into the baseandis operatively associated with the ``counter-balancing device indicated generally` ati', for ysupporting the TheV counter-balancing means l comprises,

in the present embodiment, a ,lever 8 pivoted l at 9,., upon abracket 1 0 carried by the base 1. Herein.saidbracket is` mounted upon a base plate, 1 1 of. Wood orthe like, suitably secured to a sidel Wallfo the base, and the y,

bracket .is offset outwardly between lits upper andloiver ends, as at; 12, so as tov re- ,ceivemthe .reanend of the lever between it andthe base plate/11. The freelend of the v lever,n 18., is, pivotallv, connected rvat' 1 3@ to the lotverendoiA` the 'link ,6, and mounted on spaced from the lever 8. Extending be- `outer end of the stud 16, said stud being retained in position by suitable .means such as a Cotter-pin 20. ,y

The spring 17 has its outer arm 21 held rigid with the disk 15 of the bracket, and the opposite. or inner arm 22 o1: the spring is rigid with a rotatable element 23 journaled on thel stud 16 between the lever 8 and the spring. 1n order to permit 01' the adjustment otl the spring to vary the torsion thereof, the disk 15 of the bracket is provided with an inwardly projecting flange 241 notched to provide a series of ratchet teeth 25 adapted to receive the arm 21 (Figs. a and This construction permits ot an easy adjustment ot the springafter the parts have been assembled. The opposite arin22 of the spring may engage with a stud 26 on the rotatable element 23.

In order to eii'ect a rotation Lof the 'ele-i ment 23 as the hood 2 of the cabinet is raised or lowered, and thereby unwind orA wind up the spring 17, l herein provide intermeshing teeth on the bracket 10 and rotary element 28 in the form o1 gear segments 27 and 28. To permit of: the swinging movements ot the lever 8 and at the same time guide itin such movements, the bracket 10 may be provided with an arcuate slot 2S) in which a stud 30 mounted on vthe lever 8 and carrying a washer 30'L .is arranged to operate. l

As the hood is swung upwardly upon its hinge 3, the lever 8 is correspondingly swung upwardly on its pivot 9. ln'this operat-ion the rotatable element 28 is rotated,

by `reason ot the engagement ot l its gear segment 28 with the gear segment 27 of the bracket, to unwind the spring 17, vupward movement of the hood being limitedl by a ringer 81 on the element 28 engaging with the bracket 141 (dotted lines Fig.

n As4 the hood is swung downwardly, the clement 23 is actuated to wind up the spring 17, the tension gradually increasing as the hood moves towardA the horizont-al. The parts are so proportioned that as the hood approaches its closed position, the gear segment 28 of the element 23 disengages from thesegment 27 of the bracket. In order that the increased tension upon the spring shall not operate to resist with increasing effectiveness the descentl of they hood, the segments 23 and 28 are formed with an eccentric pitch line so that the effective radius of the segment 22% gradually increases as the hood moves downwardly; and. finally as the hood approaches its lowermost position the effective radius is suddenly increased t0 a substantial length causing the hood t o descend completely into its normal position upon the top l of the. base. Upon the disengagement or" the gear segments, the

element 223 is held against rotation through the action ot the spring 1'?, by means of the o linger 31 entering a notch B2-in the edge oli-the bracket below the segment 27, said finger being spaced a substantial distance irorn the nearest tooth ot the gear segment 28 so as to permit of a complete disengagement of said segments.

For the purpose oil facilitating the assembling of the parts, the pivotal connection 13 between the link 6 and lever 8 is made detachable. lerein tor this'purpose the pivotal stud is provided on its inner end with a pair of oppositely extending lugs V33 and the openingin the lower end of the It will be seen that I have provided ay counter-balancing device tor phonographs, which is ot a very practical character. The parts operate smoothly without perceptible noise, and the torsional spring is capable ot' very effectively counter-balancing the hood. liloreover, the arrangement ot the gear segments to permit the hood to descend freely as it approaches its horizontal position insures that the. hood will remain closed when it is so desired. Should the spring beCOme worn or weakened in use, it may be very easily adjusted and the difficulty commonly expcrienz'ed in assembling disconnected parts ot a device within the case is overcome by the detachable connection between the members secured to `different parts of the cabinet.

This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 819,850, liled August 23, 1919.

.l claim as my invention:

1. ln a cabinet 'for phonographs or the like. the combination with a base having a hinged hoorhot means tor yieldingly supporting the hood in raised position comprising a member pivoted to th'e hood and depending` into the base, a torsion spring, and means for eecting the winding and unwinding` or' said spring in the swinging movement 4of said hood including ,a pair of intermesliing gear segments one of which 'terminates in. an elongated tooth adapted to intensa engage notch formed ink the other of said segments.:

2. ln a cabinet'ior phonographs or the like. comprising a base ,having a. hinged.

said spring, comprising a pair 4of intenmeshing gearsegments adapted` as the hood approaches its closed position to disengage, and an elongated tooth carried by one ot said segments arranged to abut the other .of said segments at its terminus when said segments are disengaged and thereby diminish the lifting effect of said spring.

3. ln a phonograph or like cabinet, the combina-tion with a base having a hood, of a member pivoted to the hood and depending into the base, a lever pivoted in the base and pivotally connected te said member, a stationary gear element inthe base, a rotary gear element mounted on said lever and meshing with the stationary gear element, said gear elements being` termed with pitch lines eccentric to their centers, a torsion. spring having one end i'ixed and the other end rotatable with said rotary gear element, and a linger on said rotary element adapted to engage with the stationary element to limit the rotationof said rotary element.

4. ln a cabinet for phonographs 0r the like comprising a base having a hinged hood, a pivoted member depending from the hood into the base, a torsion spring, and means arranged to be actuated by the movements of said member in the swinging movements of the hood to wind and unwind said spring comprising a pair of intermeshing gear segments having eccentric pitch lines and adapted as the hood approaches its closed position to disengage, and a linger associated with one of said segments adapted to engage a notch in the other oli said segments following the disengagement thereorn to diminish thereby the lifting effect or' said spring.

ln a cabinet vtor phonographs or the like, the combination with a base having a hinged hood, or' a member pivoted to the hood and depending into the base, a lever pivoted in the base and pivotally connected to said member, a bracket carried by said lever, a rotary element pivoted on the lever and having gear teeth thereon, a torsion spring having one end fixed to said bracket and the other end fixed to said rotary element, a second bracket mounted on the base and having a stationary gear element thereon with which the teeth of said rotary element are adapted to mesh, said gear elements being adapted to disengage as the hood approaches its closed position, and a nger on said element adapted to engage with the second bracket to prevent the unwinding of the spring upon such disengagement, and also adapted to engage with the tir. mentioned bracket to limit upward swinging movement or the hood.

In a cabinet for phonographs and the .like, comprisingI a base and a hinged hood,

a member. pivoted to the hood and depending into the base, a bracket .mounted in the base and haring a substantially upright gear segment thereonI` s, levery pivoted to said Abracket and to said depending member for movementwby the latter, a rotary-,element piroted on said lever and having teeth arranged to mesh with said gear segment on 'the bracket and to disengage therefrom as the hood approaches its closed position, a torsion spring arranged to be wound and unwound in the rotation of said rotary element, and a finger on the rotary element spaced a substantial distance from the nearest tooth on said element, there being a notch in said bracket in which said linger engages after the teeth of the rotary element disengage trom said gear segment.

"l". ln a phonograph or like cabinet, the combination with a base having a hinged hood, of counterbalancing means for the hood comprising a stationary gear element and a rotary gear element, means providing an abutment liXed with reference to said stationary element, said rotary gear element being adapted to operatively engage with said stationary gear element and having spring means associated therewith whereby to support the hood in raised position, said rotary element also having a part fixed with reference thereto and adapt-ed to engage with said abutment, the distance between the axis of rotation of the rotary gear element and said abutment being greater than the distance between said axis and the stationary gear element.

8. In a. phonograph or like cabinet, the combination ot' a base having a hinged hood, of means for counterbalancing the hood inraised position but allowing it to rest upon the base in its lowered position, said means including a stationary part having a gear segment, a rotary part also having a gear segment adapted to mesh with the first gear segment, spring means adapt-ed to resist the rotation of said rotary part in the movement o1c the hood from its raised position toward its lowered position, and means for increasing the effectiveness of gravity acting upon said hood to rotate said rotary part against the action of said spring means when the hood approaches its lowered position, the last mentioned means including a member fixed with reference to the rotary part and adapted to engage with a shoulder liXed with reference to the stationary part when said gear segments are .moved out of mesh with each other.

9. In a cabinet having a swinging hood,

means for ommterhaiameing 'the hood includ* ring ai paix. oi intei'nleshing gem' elements one op? which is adapted to rotate in the movements of the hood, means adopted to resist the rotation of said rotary eiement in the downward movement oi,E the hood, and moans 'for increasing the ei'feetive radius of seid rotary element nf'heiehyto ineiease the effectiveness oi? gravity acting upon said hood when the latter approaches its closed. position.

l0. In a phonograph oi1 like Cabinet, the

combination with e, hase and a hinged hood, of :L memhei pivoted to the hood and depending into the hase, a level pivoted in the hase and pivotaily Connected to said memhej, torsion spring, sind gear means operatively associated with said lever whereby to Wind and unwind said spring in the swinging movements ofthe lever and limit said movements.

in testimonyv whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILHELM A LDEEN. 

